Macha Suzuki’s installations convey a sense of narrative that is familiar, highly attractive, yet also dark and disruptive. Combining representation and abstract forms, he suspends figurative elements in a place of fantasy, with bright colors and glossy surfaces. His sculptures are crafted with skill and ingenuity from a mixture of materials that includes epoxy clay, fluorescent lights, plastic, and Bondo. “I tell stories, real-life stories about my experiences: what I have done, what I have seen, and what I have heard,” the artist states. “I do not necessarily convey these experiences factually. Instead, I dress them up with elaborate fabrications some would call lies.”

In Permission to Fail (2010, pictured above), the word “fail” never looked more inviting and hopeful. It is presented in bright pink, apparently formed by a construction of branches, and surrounded by green leaves like newly sprouted foliage, perhaps implying that failure can bring renewal. Suzuki’s current work, including his Laguna Art Museum show, continues to deal with the notion of failure. Rather than grieving, the artist accepts and celebrates the growth that results from experience and the freedom to fail.

Suzuki was born in Japan in 1979 and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. In 2006, he received an MFA in sculpture from Claremont Graduate University and a BA in studio art from Azusa Pacific University, California. His recent solo exhibitions were featured at Sam Lee Gallery in Los Angeles; the Kravets/Wehby Gallery in New York; Cypress College in Cypress, California; and Biola University in La Mirada, California. Suzuki’s work has been included in group exhibitions at d.e.n. contemporary art in Culver City; the Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard, California; Gallery Lara in Tokyo, Japan; the Torrance Art Museum in Torrance, California; and the Harrison Center for the Arts in Indianapolis, Indiana.

about ex·pose
ex·pose is a contemporary art program curated by Grace Kook-Anderson, curator of contemporary art at Laguna Art Museum. Focusing on one emerging or mid-career artist at a time, the program encourages the development of new projects and an immersive involvement with the museum’s Young Artists Society Gallery program. ex·pose aims to present a diverse range of artists working in all mediums.

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